A year of new beginnings

Rosh Hashanah is more than the start of a new year – it’s the opportunity to begin anew. It’s a season when we stop to ask: What do we want our lives to look like in the year ahead?

We purchased a property on paper in Jerusalem, knowing it would take several years for the apartment to be ready. That was fine with us, as we were not yet prepared to make aliyah. In fact, we weren’t even sure we were going to make aliyah at that stage of our lives. But at least we would have a property ready and waiting for us when the time came.

Fast-forward four years. The Getter Group, which was handling the entire purchase process and accompanying us through the build-out, notified us that the finished apartment was ready for inspection. They brought an engineer to check it, and after it passed inspection, they accepted the keys on our behalf.

We were coming to Israel for the holidays and were eager to see our new, completed property and put up our mezuzot. We had several doorways that were confusing in terms of where to place each mezuzah. Where should we put them? Did the doorposts even require mezuzot? When I mentioned the dilemma to Mr. Getter, he offered to invite a rabbi to our Kviat Mezuzah, the ceremony of affixing the mezuzah on the doorposts of each room. The rabbi helped us decide where to place them. We were amazed and grateful for this added “service”!

When a family moves into a new home, the very first act is often affixing a mezuzah to the door post. To us, seeing our door frames transformed into entrances filled with blessing and protection was so meaningful, especially because of the special sense of kinship we felt with this real estate company going above and beyond to find a rabbi who came to help us, even though he didn’t know us. Each time we walk through the apartment, the mezuzah reminds us of who we are and where we are going – and that here in Israel, we are truly surrounded by family.

I am an investor, and I believe in the Land of Israel, so naturally I combined these two loves and sought to buy a property here. But I didn’t know a thing about the market: where to buy, what to buy, or where I would see the best long-term capital growth. I wanted a place that I could use during the holidays and perhaps turn into a permanent home someday, so the property had to meet my family’s lifestyle requirements.

I heard about The Getter Group and what they do for their clients, which is literally everything from beginning to end in the property search, negotiation, and acquisition process, so I decided that going with their service would be the best move for me, a completely clueless American. Sure enough, they found a building under construction in an excellent location with lots of rental demand, so it could generate income while I’m not using it.

The thing that confused me, though, was that Shia Getter, CEO of The Getter Group, was extremely insistent that I buy one particular apartment in the building. He was in touch with the developer multiple times to secure and negotiate this specific property for me. To be honest, I really didn’t understand it. What difference did it make if I bought one on this side of the building or that side? Did the extra flight up really make such a difference? I wasn’t sure I was even going to live there. But Shia was firm in his conviction that I needed to buy that apartment. He’s the expert, so I let him push for it.

Three years later, I came to Israel for a visit. Shia took me to see the almost-completed property. We walked out on the balcony just as the sun was beginning to set. The scene before me completely silenced me. The sky, awash with orange, pink, and purple, was absolutely magnificent, and the interplay between the colors of the sunset and the beautiful Jerusalem stone of the city below was like a scene from a painting. The only thing to do was stand and take it in. “Look at this beautiful, holy city! I own a home here!” I thought.

Then I knew. No explanation was necessary. This scene, this sunset, was why Shia had been so adamant about this property. I turned to him, gesturing at the scene spread before us, and asked, “So this is why?”

He nodded. He had had the perspective to see into the future of this apartment, this particular property, and know what it would look like when it was built – and more importantly, the stunning view it would provide!

When I stood on that balcony and gazed at the splendid Jerusalem sunset, it struck me: Sometimes we only understand the wisdom of a choice years later, when it finally comes into view. Going into Rosh Hashanah, I feel much the same, taking steps into a new year, without knowing what the horizon will hold. Only later do we look back and realize that those beginnings carried us exactly where we were meant to be.

How important is a window? That was the big question.

We had purchased a property in a project being developed in Beit Shemesh, and I had looked at the plans multiple times and was very excited about the apartment. But when I actually went to visit the site and compared what I was seeing on paper to what I was seeing on the ground, I was dismayed to discover that despite the incredible view of the Eshtaol Forest, I would not have a window to look out at it from my kitchen.

Were there other windows? Of course.

Were there other windows in my kitchen? Yes.

Yocheved told me not to despair. She would keep pushing for that window. With tremendous persistence, she was eventually successful, and they approved the addition of a window. We’ll be the only family in the building with a kitchen window overlooking the stunning landscape of the Eshtaol Forest.

It’s amazing how much difference one window can make. To me, it’s not just glass and a frame; it’s a way of seeing the world, a chance to let in light and beauty. And to us, of course, it also represents the power of persistence.

Beginnings don’t always announce themselves. Sometimes they appear quietly – a new view (and window) from the kitchen, a mezuzah affixed by a rabbi brought in for the occasion, a balcony that captures the perfect sunset. These are small things, but they represent a fresh start in the place where our nation’s story has always begun.

At The Getter Group, this is what we do for our clients. We help them take whatever steps are necessary for their new beginning in a new home, guiding them through the first part of their life in Israel with clarity, confidence, and peace of mind.